Klitschko vs. Adamek

Is Klitschko One Of The All-Time Greats?

The quality of opposition

Throughout his professional career, Klitschko has faced 10 fighters with more than 10 losses in their records and, more recently, faced Odlanier Solis, a boxer who only fought 17 bouts. This has been the one major criticism that has plagued Klitschko throughout his career — that he has avoided the best opponent in his division and has always taken on the easiest contenders.

In his pre-title days, Mike Tyson struggled with cagey veterans James "Quick" Tillis and Mitch "Blood" Green, both of whom were taller heavyweights and not the logical choice for Tyson. Nonetheless, Tyson accepted those two fights, and throughout the rest of his career, he always took on the best challengers out there. That’s not the case with Vitali, who took on maybe one notable contender throughout his career, Lennox Lewis.

Another factor that does not help Klitschko is that most of all the best the top pound-for-pound fighters in the sport at the moment are campaigning in lower weight categories.

Klitschko here gets a failing grade not just because of his unwillingness to fight the most difficult opponent out there, but because he is unwilling to fight his greatest challenger in the heavyweight division. That is, until he fights his brother, Wladimir. It’s the fight we all want to see, and besides, it’s certainly not by fighting the likes of Adamek that Klitschko will revive interest in the heavyweight division.

Historical impact and mainstream appeal

The last great heavyweight, Mike Tyson, brought a tremendous buzz to the sport through his dominance and character that, for better or worse, made an impact in the minds of fans and non-boxing fans. In fact, his name still remains synonymous with modern boxing, as he is often showcased in movies and in television shows.

Charisma (Muhammad Ali), talent (Joe Louis) and heart (Rocky Marciano) are among the traits that people remember best about their favorite fighters throughout the generations. Boxing fans don’t think of Klitschko as a man who has overcome great obstacles or challenges to become a champion. According to Klitschko, “Unfortunately, I’ve been fighting injuries more than facing rivals in the ring.”

As for mainstream appeal, Klitschko is climbing a steep hill in the heavyweight division. Going way back to John L. Sullivan, who was the first recognized Heavyweight Champion of the World, and an American, almost all of the heavyweight champions have come from the U.S. Max Schmeling and Primo Carnera in the 1930s, and Ingemar Johansson in 1959, were notable exceptions to the rule, and in each case, they were just brief interludes. It was even mentioned in American papers that European fighters were awkward and clumsy and could never compete with the slick fighters from the U.S. Eastern European fighters were never even mentioned, since they were locked behind the Iron Curtain of the Soviet Union.

We all know that Klitschko has gained mainstream appeal in Europe for his achievements in the ring. However, outside the ring, very few people in North America are aware that he holds a Ph.D. in sports sciences, that he is the leader of a political party, the Ukrainian Democratic Alliance for Reform, and that he holds a seat in the Kiev City Council. Even with all these accomplishments, because he is from Eastern Europe, Klitschko has a tough fight in front of him if he wishes to gain mainstream appeal where it really matters, in North America.

One of the all-time greatest heavyweights?

Having gone through the various traits that an all-time great fighter must possess, I must come to the conclusion that Klitschko should not be considered among the best heavyweight. At the moment, he is a good heavyweight fighter, but he is not in the same category as Muhammad Ali, Joe Louis, Jack Dempsey, Jack Johnson, Rocky Marciano, Gene Tunney, George Foreman, Joe Frazier, Larry Holmes, and Mike Tyson.

There is no doubt that Klitschko will make quick work of Adamek. Even if the fight is taking place in Adamek’s home country of Poland, Klitschko is much too qualified and powerful for the challenger. The question is: How long will it take for Klitschko to realize that his biggest challenger is his brother? Now, that would make for one of the all-time greatest fights in heavyweight history.